From heavenly macaroons to sweet sorbets, soft fairyfloss pinks to delicate baby blues, delectable pastel hues are here to sweeten up your winter. Read on for the full trend report.

One can’t truly expect for the luxuriously darker hues generally associated with the colder months to completely vanish off the runways, but this season they got to at least be sweetened up with the most tender and delicate of shades. Focusing on pastel hues, the fall / winter 2015 fashion trends gained an impossible grace, paving way for spring and summer out of delicious blush pink, baby blue, mint green and lavender tones.

Continue to read after the break to learn all about the winter pastels, in a guide complete with everything that’s new for fall / winter 2015.

Pastel hues for fall 2015.

By switching the rules of the game, the pastel hues settled quite nicely into fall / winter territory, marking yet another season in which they serve to add a bit of contrast to winter’s sturdier silhouettes. For 2015 and way into 2016, keep your seasonal wardrobe up do date by making sure it includes everything in between pastel coats, soft-hued knitwear, light-coloured evening-wear and strong tailoring in pale shades.

Since last season, a lot has changed and a lot has stayed the same, that’s why we are going to focus on all that is new about the frosty pastels for winter 2015. You can read about the trend in past seasons by scrolling down the page.

Below, everything you need to know about pastels for 2015 before taking them on for a new season:

Pastel coloured tailoring.

For fall 2015, the pastel trend is ready to embark on three different directions, the first one borrowing from the boys and infusing the prim and proper suits with a little bit of colour. The upcoming season’s delectable take on tailoring includes all kinds of pastel shades, spanning in between the prettiest of pinks and the frostiest of lavender tones.

Suiting up is now a perfect compromise between power and femininity, strength and incredible grace. When choosing your armor for autumn and winter, look for relaxed silhouettes, even ones featuring delicate embroideries, and style them with skinny belts, statement earrings and killer heels.

Pastel suits at Marc Jacobs and Giorgio Armani, F/W ’15

Light-coloured twin sets & jumpsuits.

At the bridge between femininity and masculinity is where you’ll likely find light-coloured twin sets and diaphanous jumpsuits, all bearing clean lines, all looking minimal and effortless for the season. Whether cut in cozy fabrics, or draped in silky ones, their message appears to be one and the same: less is more.

And you really don’t need much of anything else when you have the beauty of the pastel shades working full duty for you. Perhaps you could perfect the looks with a statement earring and a pretty lip.

Pastel shades at Tibi and Vionnet, F/W ’15

Heavenly pastel dresses.

And right on the other end of the spectrum, soft hues and ethereal silhouettes collide for results that could easily be described as heavenly. If you thought that the peek-a-boo lace and the sheer fabrics belong to summer only, think again. Even when cocooned in pastel tones and looking weightless, they can be integrated into a colder season’s functional wardrobe if paired to thick stockings in dark hues, to smokey eyes and slick hair do’s, to pointy heels and minimally made-up complexions.

Heavenly pastels at Zimmermann and Philosophy, F/W ’15

Printed pastels.

Signaling yet another one of fall / winter 2015’s novelties, the printed pastels make for a gorgeous update on what is an already pretty amazing trend. From girly and innocent, to chic and sophisticated, the prints are the ones to dictate the mood.

for the sweet and girly approach go with subtle prints and embroideries on easy dresses, and top them off with unfussy ponytails, doc boots and cute backpacks;

to go all chic and sophisticated, opt for abstract prints and velvet embroideries (much like the bird motifs at Rochas), to be sported on lady-like coats and rounded off with graphic makeup.

Printed pastels at Paul & Joe and Rochas, F/W ’15

Fresh pastel textures.

Even the textures felt completely anew on the fall 2015 runways where pretty pastels were used to breath new life into quilted materials and shimmery fabrics. If you care make a statement this upcoming season, do look out for:

quilted sweatshirts in pastel colours to be worn with mohair pencil skirts and tassel loafers;

soft-hued blazers and jackets made glamorous with metallic sateen, to be worn with trousers matching their luxe feel, with cozy turtlenecks and lace-up heels.

Fresh pastel textures at Max Mara and Zimmermann, F/W ’15

Candy-coloured outerwear.

When it comes to sporting pastels during the colder seasons, outerwear is the first thing to pop to mind, perhaps due to the weight it clearly carries in shaping up the trend. In fall 2015, the pastel coats should still be treated as a significant component of your wardrobe, but aim for longer and cleaner silhouettes, for effortless tailoring, for pieces just perfect to be thrown over the shoulders.

If you are eager to try something else, why not take advantage of this season’s strong infatuation with oversized faux-fur coats and seek them in icy pastels and exaggerated silhouettes? Think of them as the best way to perfect your casual outfits during the day, and to complement your sophisticated evening looks.

Pastel outerwear at Emilia Wickstead and Altuzarra, F/W ’15

How to wear pastels in fall 2015.

While many of last season’s styling tips still apply in 2015, this fall’s take on pretty pastels brought on fresh interpretations of the trend. Meant to be kept easy and fairly uncomplicated, the autumn 2015 runway styling suggests you:

wear your favourite pastel shades head to toe (be it with tailored suits, twin sets or matching separates); spice up the looks with bright-hued shoes, with lavish pieces of jewellery (statement necklaces, or this season’s bold brooches) and dramatic over-the-elbow gloves;

add new life to the softest of pastel hues using bold, contrasting colours;

Pastel clothing at Prada, Giorgio Armani and Holly Fulton, F/W ’15

Whenever sporting pastels, the first tendency is to keep the looks tonal, clean, minimal, which is always a great option. But what the fall season inspires you to do in 2015 is add a new dimension to pastels by:

polishing them off with classic patterns (checks, glen checks, houndstooth, etc) and tailored suits; follow the lead set at Bottega Veneta where pastel cardigans were belted at the waist and layered underneath impeccable blazers; use red lips and voluminous curls to enhance the feminine feel;

breaking them down with bold prints; colour-blocking is always an option, but this season a lot of prints were used to add a playful sensibility to the already delicate nature of pastels;

teaming them up with exquisite embroideries and embellishments, allowing their minimal feel to collide with just enough drama to keep things interesting.

Cozy pastels.

If a cozy wardrobe is what you love most about fall and winter, know you can have it looking deliciously feminine for fall 2015, with knits of all shapes and (pastel) hues looking ready to build it up. During the upcoming season expect the pastel knits to be:

hanging off the shoulders and paired to flowy, pleated maxi skirts for a perfect blend of bohemian and utterly feminine; use messy center parts and bare beauty looks to complement their feel;

slightly oversized and reimagined with patchworks, styled with sleek pencil skirts and heeled booties; try a pair of dark vampy lips and a wet ponytail to perfect their laid-back sophistication.

Cozy pastels at Vionnet and Trussardi, F/W ’15

Complementary trends.

If you already plan on adding more pastels to your wardrobe come fall, rest assured they will go wonderfully with some of the other major trends shaping up the season. Try:

finding a billowy, maxi dress in a heavenly macaroon hue and toughen it up with leather belts and ankle boots for the ultimate take on boho-chic;

going for a floor-sweeping coat in a sweet sorbet hue and use it to soften up any number of fall and winter looks, both for the day and the night;

updating your wardrobe with a pair of high-waist pants in pretty pastel and wear it with tucked in white button-downs, shrunken mohair knits, with fitted turtlenecks.

Pastel clothing at Barbara Bui, Genny and Carven, F/W ’15

The trend in 2014.

Trending shades.

Although the pastel shades trending for autumn/winter 2014 are made of pretty much the classics, they are to be infused with a whole new attitude this season, due to the sleeker, cozier silhouettes imagined for the colder months, and due to the soft play on nuances responsible for expanding the palette even further. This fall, think in terms of:

Winter pastels: complementary shades.

As proven by the following examples borrowed from the runway, the pastel hues intended for autumn and winter are just as wearable as those building your spring/summer wardrobe. Seeing how we’re talking low temperatures, therefore warm layers, take this season as an opportunity to mix & match pretty pastels with other trending hues in building the most unexpected colour combinations. For this try:

playing up the pastel hues with a lot of white if you aim for a super-luxurious, and super-feminine look; choose a soft, low ponytail and a bare face to enhance the ethereal feel;

layering together pastels of various hues for an incredibly delicate looking winter outfit; make sure all shades share the same level of intensity, aim for timeless simplicity and add a bold lip to balance off the look;

toning down the pastel clothing with a lot of black if your style is rather cool and edgy, but you still want to incorporate a safe dose of pastels in your fall/winter looks.

Pastel colours at Sally Lapointe, Rebecca Minkoff and Tibi, F/W ’14

How to wear pastels this fall.

If you are one to believe that sporting the pastel hues means to automatically play up your femininity, the runways are more than ready to prove you wrong.

Of course the easiest way to wear pastels this season may lead to a series of flirty, fun and sexy outfits awash with femininity, but there’s more to pastels than dainty fabrics, fur jackets and ladylike silhouettes.

For more of an unexpected take on the trend, you can try clashing pastels in an athletic-inspired outfit, opting for sporty dresses, cool sweatshirts, and minimalistic rain coats redefining the sports-luxe this winter.

Making for the most wonderful juxtaposition, the pastel hues laid against a menswear-inspired tailored suit, complete with a wide-brimmed hat and a pair of matching heels, will definitely help you stand out this season.

Pastel colours at Christopher Kane, Lacoste and Tod’s, F/W ’14

Minimal silhouettes vs. heavy embellishments.

This fall and winter, the pastel colours come hand in hand with the most sleek, simple, uncomplicated of silhouettes. Together they place a bet on minimalism, in turning the quiet elegance into a complete statement.

But aside from the clean, sharp silhouettes, this season brought along plenty of pretty pastels garnished with heavy embellishments. The result are probably just as extraordinary looking as one would expect, so if you’re all about intricacy and sophistication this may just be your thing.

Pastel colours at Jil Sander and Peter Pilotto, F/W ’14

Complementary trends.

Weaving in telling the most beautiful winter-inspired story, this season’s leading trends meet the soft-hues halfway. Complementing the pastel clothing are the:

cool, slouchy, boyish silhouettes born on the spring runways but made relevant once again during fall and winter;

digital prints that appear all the more enticing when juxtaposed to delicate cashmere knits in pastel tones.

Pastel colours at Rebecca Taylor, Gucci and Zimmermann, F/W ’14

Winter pastels: key pieces.

With that being said, you don’t need a full closet made out of pastel hues to be able to take on the fall/winter trend. Invest wisely in key pieces that will stand out, while at the same time will be able to complement and breath new life into your existing wardrobe. Choose: